Help with Cleaning of Bath Toys

Hi M., I strongly suggest using Shalee's Basic G (the "G" stands for germicide)to clean your bath toys as it is safe for the child and safe for the environment and very effective. It kills all the germs/bacteria that bleach does but in a safer way that does not harm us or the environment. People use it to get rid of mold/mildew on their boats, decks, house siding, etc. I always clean my toilets & bathroom floors with it. It is highly concentrated so one bottle will last the average household at least a year if not longer. You simply add a teaspoon of Basic G to a small bucket of water, soak the toys for a bit, then scrub and rinse with hot water. Yes, I do happen to be a Shaklee distributor but am also a very happy customer. Contact me or simply order at www.emilytaft.com - ###-###-#### ____@____.com - I am happy to answer any and all questions. E. Taft

Another suggestion for cheap bath toys - you know those little bottles of shampoo and conditioner that you get from hotels? I've been saving money this year by using those little bottles we had been collecting for my shampoo. As I finish each one I give it to the kids as another bath toy. They have a little lab going and love to pour water between them!

I think I would simply throw them away and buy new. They are not that expensive, yes?
The thing that would make me trash them is the mold.
If it were simply dirt they could be cleaned but once mold has settled in it is extremely difficult to erradicate and can be even dangerous.
Not worth the risk I should think.
Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

I say toss the ones you have. My kids have fun playing w/ shaving cream, empty shampoo bottles, cheap plastic stacking boats/cups and foam lettlers they even have them in playsets like cars, trains, animals, etc. These are much easier to keep clean and if they do get moldy are much easier to get the mold out of then those others squeaky toys. I also found a plastic fish net and fish that have numbers on them both of my boys like them and some small cheap water guns too.

If the toys just have a tiny hole (like a squeeker) it will be hard to get/keep the mold out of them. For some of those I actually cut the hole larger so they can be cleaned with a bleach solution. The mold will grow in moist places with little airflow, so you either have to increase the air access by enlarging the hole, or close the hole so no water gets in. Some toys we banned from the tub since they were just too hard to keep the mold out of.
My kids find the simple stacking cups, plastic spoons and some shaving cream and one of my old blush-brushes for "painting" the wall the most fun and they are easy to clean. We also bought the floating foam pad with holes and plastic "test tubes" and colored fizzy tables that they love (http://www.leapsandbounds.com/catalog/product.jsp?product.... Good luck. Cato

Actually I just saw a picture of that in one of the parenting magazines - yes! I'm going to do it too! ;-)